Care & Maintenance

General Cleaning

Like any floor in your home, Futurewood decking looks best when the surface is kept clean. Cleaning the deck with a stiff bristled broom should be undertaken on a regular basis. The frequency of cleaning would be based on the amount of organic debris that ends up on your deck from overhanging or nearby vegetation, as well as general dirt and grime that builds up from regular foot traffic.

We recommend using water and sugar soap to wash your Futurewood deck or we also recommend using Wet & Forget.

Mould and Mildew

Futurewood decking has an antifungal solution and antimicrobial surface coating. This means your decking is protected against mould, mildew, germs and bacteria. We recommend regular sweeping and periodically washing any dirt and debris from the surface. By doing this you are making sure that twigs and leaves do not build up between the boards and develop into mould or mildew.

If mould or mildew occurs you can wash down your deck using a mild solution of warm water and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or Intergrain Reviva or Cabot's Deck Clean. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer's recommendations for use and always test the solution in a non-prominent area of your deck first. You can use a pressure washer but do not run this at greater than 8Kpa (1200 PSI) or position the nozzle within 300mm from the deck surface as this may mark the surface of the deck.

Scratching

The machined finish and embossed pattern on the surface of Futurewood decking is designed to hide most minor scratches. When moving furniture or heavy items across your deck take extra care as this may lead to significant scratches on the deck surface. We recommend using a protective mat or furniture pads to prevent contact from sources such as furniture legs, BBQ's or planter stands. Larger scratches can be removed by lightly sanding the face of the board. Please note that over sanding of your deck boards can remove the embossed grain pattern.

Staining

Futurewood composite decking has an open fibrous surface. This means that the surface will stain if oil, grease, wine, red clay, leaf matter (tannin) or rust is allowed to remain on the surface and penetrate the fibres.

The best method of removing stains is to clean the area immediately after the stain occurs before it has a chance to soak into the cellulose fibre. A strong solution of detergent and hot water, applied immediately after the staining has occurred, will remove most stains. Handy Andy by Clorox and warm water has been found to work well on fat and oil stains. Apply undiluted and scrub into the stain and then leave wet for 10 minutes before washing off the solution with water. If immediate cleaning is not possible or the stain has a high fat/oil content, try to lift the stain from the surface using Eucalyptus Oil or Intergrain Reviva and then scrub with Handy Andy as described above. For heavy staining, several applications may be required. High-pressure washing may also help to remove the stain, however, caution is required when using high-pressure washers if run at greater than 8Kpa (1200 PSI) or position the nozzle within 300mm from the deck surface as this may mark the surface of the deck. 

Additional products such as Kenco Degreaser or cleaning agents containing oxalic acid or phosphoric acid may provide greater cleaning power and help remove certain types of stains. No two stains appear to react the same way and a combination of cleaning solutions may be required to completely remove them.

When using chemical cleaners, always make sure that you follow the manufacturer's recommendations and that there is proper ventilation and respiratory protection.

If all else fails, you can lightly sand the face of the deck board to remove the stain. Please note that over sanding may remove the embossed grain pattern from the board.
Constant metal contact may produce rust stains on your deck. You should use a protective mat or plastic caps to protect against metal contact from sources such as furniture legs, BBQ’s or planter stands.

To avoid heavy grease staining, place a protective mat over the deck when barbequing or cooking with a large amount of cooking oil.

Painting

Futurewood decking does not require any painting over the life of the product. If you want to change the colour of the decking we recommend taking a sample or offcut of the deck to your paint supplier and test the surface coating before purchasing. By doing this you will ensure a suitable bond between the deck and the finishing coat. The paint will not penetrate the surface of the material like traditional wood deck. Always wait until the surface weathers before painting to provide more cellulose exposure for the paint to adhere to.

Miscellaneous

All heavy items should be well supported and positioned so that they are sitting above the joists or substructure. Constant loading on any individual deck board without immediate joist support may cause that board to sag. Futurewood Decking is not suitable to be used as structural support.

View our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about Futurewood Decking.